Protests against water shortages in Sudan

A shortage of drinking water led to protests in Port Sudan and Khartoum yesterday.

Angry protesters in Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state, closed the road leading to the offices of the harbour authorities and the Abuhashish Salabona district.

People from Port Sudan told Radio Dabanga that protests against the shortages of drinking water have taken place in several districts of the city in the past days. There has been an unprecedented increase in the price of drinking water, they said.

In southern Khartoum’s El Azhari district, dozens of people protested water outages that began more than 15 days ago. They blocked the main road near the district with burning tires, and demanded that drinking water be provided.

The Khartoum Water Authority had already warned that the coronavirus lockdown in the capital would affect the provision of water because engineers would have less time for reparations and maintenance, and stores that sell spare parts are not open the entire day.

Anwar Sadat, Director of the Khartoum Water Authority said in mid-May that the daily production of drinking water from the Nile and groundwater is estimated at 1,600,000 cubic metres. The required water production in the summer is some 2,001,000 cubic meters per day.

He said that the total water shortage is now estimated at 900,000 cubic meters, especially in southern Omdurman, southern Khartoum, and the districts east of the Nile.

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